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Monday, September 23, 2013

Microsoft Surface Pro 2 hands-on

Here it is: Microsoft's powerhouse Surface Pro 2. As we've seen
and heard already, Microsoft's follow-up to the Surface Pro is thinner
and considerably faster. We got our hands on a 256GB model to form some
initial impressions and begin to determine whether this guy is worth the $899-and-up going rate, a $100 jump from the original Pro's pricing scheme. Head past the break to dive in.

Expect 50 percent more color accuracy, better graphics and 20-percent
faster performance. As far as we can tell, the Pro 2 will only be
offered with a Core i5 Haswell processor clocked at 1.6GHz, and you can
choose from 4GB or 8GB of RAM. During today's presentation, Microsoft
really emphasized the Surface Pro 2's chops by demoing the machine
processing raw 6K video. If it wasn't quite clear what makes the Pro
more expensive than the Tegra 4-powered Surface 2, we'll spell it out
once more: performance, plain and simple. That said, we can't speak much
to the software experience at this early date, so we'll jump right into
the hardware.

Physically, the Pro 2 is an impressive specimen, thanks to Redmond's
now-trademark magnesium build, which feels extremely sturdy, both in
terms of ruggedness and weight. It's only 2 pounds, but it's a very dense
2 pounds. True, it's not going to weigh your wrists down terribly, but
it's not going to win over those who value a skinny silhouette over
heavy-hitting performance, either. The 0.53-inch thickness does allow
for a generous selection of ports: you get one USB 3.0, a microSD card
slot, a headphone jack, Mini DisplayPort and a cover port. Additionally,
the Pro 2's form factor allows for a 42Wh battery, which should net you
60 percent longer battery life than the original Pro. Incidentally, the
Pro 2 is only available in Dark Titanium (a fancy way of saying
off-black), unlike the Surface 2 with its ivory-white shade.

The new kickstand is an elegant addition; extending it and pushing it
flat both feel extremely satisfying, and having two viewing-angle
positions makes using the Pro 2 in your lap much more manageable. The
1080p display is every bit as bright as the original Surface Pro's, too.

We had a brief moment to play with the desktop dock,
which supports up to a 3,840 x 2,160 resolution on an external display,
and found that removing and attaching the tablet felt plenty secure.
And then there's the Surface Pro 2's pen, which will come bundled with
even the $899 base configuration. Apart from raw performance, it's one
of the machine's biggest differentiators from the Surface 2, and it
looks to offer the same Wacom tech and pressure sensitivity -- if not
slightly improved -- as last time around. Stay tuned for more info --
and check out our hands-on gallery in the meantime!